Systems and methods for thermal conduction using S-contacts
AssigneepSemi Corporation
InventorChris Olson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An integrated circuit architecture that provides a path having relatively low thermal resistance between one or more electronic devices and one or more thermal structures formed on an insulator layer on a substrate. Independent parallel thermal conduction paths are provided through the insulator layer, such as a buried oxide (“BOX”) layer, to allow heat to flow from the substrate layer to a thermal structure disposed upon the BOX layer. In some cases, the substrate is a silicon substrate layer supporting the thermal structure and a heat source, such as an electronic device (e.g., power amplifier, transistor, diode, resistor, etc.).
Claims12
A semiconductor integrated circuit comprising:
- (a) a heat source fabricated within the semiconductor integrated circuit;
- (b) a semiconductor substrate fabricated within the semiconductor integrated circuit providing an electrical base upon which the heat source is fabricated;
- (c) an insulator layer within the semiconductor integrated circuit disposed on the semiconductor substrate;
- (d) a thermal structure within the semiconductor integrated circuit disposed on the insulator layer;
- and
- (e) a plurality of substrate contacts (“S-contacts”) penetrating the insulator layer to provide a thermal conduction path from the substrate to the thermal structure and spaced over an area that underlies the thermal structure to provide a thermal conduction path.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.